ILTER becomes a formal GEO participant

Potential of ILTER's site network to support remote sensing observations is recognised by the global Group on Earth Observations

The International Long-Term Ecological Research network (ILTER) represents the global umbrella for the formal LTER-Europe Regional Group. ILTER has been formally accepted as a Participating Organisation of GEO, the global Group on Earth Observations, following an application by ILTER’s chair, Michael Mirtl. Barbara Ryan, Secretariat Director of GEO was so impressed by ILTER’s global network of sites and their documentation in DEIMS that she encouraged ILTER to apply for GEO participant status. Following a presentation of ILTER’s application for membership at the GEO 13th Plenary meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, delegates voted unanimously in favour.

This formal engagement with GEO further underlines the value of LTER sites, both in Europe and globally, which have great potential to provide ground-based measurements, useful in developing, calibrating and validating remote sensing observations.

The eLTER H2020 project played a crucial role in the recognition by GEO, because core features of DEIMS have been further developed by the project as parts of the eLTER Service Suite. Global usage and recognition of of DEIMS after only 1.5 years of project run time is an excellent indicator of the project's performance.

Michael Mirtl (centre) with Barbara Ryan and Philip Mjwara, at the GEO Plenary

Map of ILTER sites. The different colours refer to stages of ILTER’s formal accreditation process